**** Recommended Jaja’s African Hair Braiding is wowing audiences at Chicago Shakespeare. I don’t know a lot about African hair braiding, but I’ve been in a lot of salons, and Jaja’s felt real! Clashing personalities, compelling stories, all the dish, yet a united front when real trouble comes knocking. Jaja’s African Hair Braiding is at times funny, poignant, snarky, and sad. 4 Spotlights
I really enjoyed the performance but I did have some difficulty understanding everything they said, and I didn’t catch all of their names. The dialogue appeared on screens on each side of the stage but I couldn’t read them from the Middle Gallery (lower balcony).
When Jaja is out, her daughter, Marie (Jordan Rice), runs the desk. Marie is smart, quiet, competent and fairly good at dealing with the personalities working in the shop. She was valedictorian of her high school class, but her ‘dreamer’ status means she can’t apply for college.
Obviously the braiders are all African, and as Miriam (Bisserat Tseggai) says, they’re very grateful to Jaja for giving them a job doing what they love. As Miriam braids her hair, Jennifer (Mia Ellis), she shares snippets of her live – and her child still in Africa.
Bea (AwaSal Secka) and Aminata (Tiffany Renee Johnson) are the ‘seniors’ in the salon. They have the most prominent stations, avoid walk-ins and dream of opening their own salon. Aminata has a man who takes advantage of her; Bea pitches a hissy fit when a former client walks in for an appointment with Ndidi (Aisha Sougou) because she wants something different.
When Jaja (Victoire Charles) pops in, she’s wearing a white mermaid gown. She’s exultant because she’s on the way to her wedding to a guy with a green card. As she’s leaving, she adds a veil to her outfit.
Although Melanie Brezill plays customers Michelle, Chrissy and LaNiece and Leovina Charles plays Vanessa, Sheila and Radia, the costumes and wigs were different enough I never noticed it was the same two women. Yao Dogbe plays all the men who have contact with the salon - James, Franklin, Olu and Eric.
I loved the creative set, a roll-down steel door with a sign - Jaja’s African Hair Braiding – above. When Marie came to work, she turned a key and rolled up the door. Then two braiding stations rolled on stage while she rolled in more chairs, carts, tables, etc.
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding was written by Jocelyn Bioh, directed by Whitney White. It premiered in 2023 at Manhattan Theatre Club. It is a co-production with Arena Stage, Berkeley Repertory Theater and La Jolla Playhouse in association with Madison Wells Live and LaChanze.
Jaja’s African Hair Braiding runs through February 2nd in The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre on Navy Pier, Chicago. Parking in CST’s designated area in the Navy Pier Garage is available at a 40% discount with validation from CST.
Running time is 90 minutes without an intermission. Performances are Tuesdays, Thursdays & Fridays at 7:00 pm; Wednesdays at 1:00 & 7:00 pm; Saturdays at 2:00 & 7:00 pm; Sundays at 2:00 pm. Tickets start at $103. FYI (312) 595-5600 or www.chicagoshakes.com